As an email marketer, you already know there are plenty of terms you need to be familiar with in order to do your job effectively. Optimizing your campaigns requires understanding everything from bounce rates to multivariate testing.
However, it’s easy to overlook certain important terms and concepts. Sender policy framework might be one of them.
Don’t worry if you’re first question is: “What is SPF email?” How SPF works and what it is could be a new concept for you. The following points will help you better understand what it means, and how it applies to your email marketing efforts.
What is Sender Policy Framework?
What is SPF email? In simple terms, sender policy framework in email is a method for guarding against threats from spammers or other malicious parties.
This is very important for email marketers. It’s not uncommon for spammers to send unauthorized emails (known as “spoofing”) via your domain.
With SPF email solutions, you can ensure only certain verified IP addresses are associated with your domain. If an email server detects a message from your domain not linked to one of the verified IP addresses, it will reject that email. This is so important to both senders and recipients that some email clients actually require senders to send SPF emails.
How SPF Works
Using SPF email solutions involves establishing a record of verified IP addresses with your Domain Name System server. This allows recipient email servers to confirm messages coming from your domain are actually being sent by you or a member of your team. Popular email marketing management programs such as MailChimp allow you to set up an SPF record easily.
Additionally, you can research the appropriate process for your specific email client. With an SPF test tool, you (and your readers) can also check a domain to find which authorized senders are associated with that domain.
Additional Security Steps
Email SPF helps you reduce the amount of spam your followers receive from your domain. If you’re labeled as a spammer, your reputation will suffer, resulting in a negative impact on your email deliverability.
That said, setting up a sender policy framework record isn’t the only step you should take to guard against such consequences. Sending too many emails to invalid addresses can result in a high bounce rate. This also prevents future emails from reaching subscriber inboxes. Taking preventative measures like using an email checker to verify addresses on your list before sending any emails is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid harming your sender reputation.
Taking these steps is key to effective email marketing. After all, it doesn’t matter how strong your campaign is: it won’t deliver a strong return on investment if your followers aren’t seeing your emails. SPF email is just one of the ways you ensure your messages are getting delivered.